Butler joins Jordan in rare air for playoff scoring originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Jimmy Buckets, meet His Airness.
Those are the Chicago Bulls-related nicknames for Jimmy Butler and Michael Jordan, who now are joined for a reason beyond their former employer.
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Butler became just the sixth player in NBA history to score 56 points or more in a playoff game on Monday night, a feat that Jordan achieved twice while with the Bulls. Butler's 56-point masterpiece helped the Miami Heat take a 3-1 first-round playoff series lead over the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks.
Jordan, of course, holds the NBA playoff scoring record with his 63-point performance in the Bulls' double overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986. He also scored 56 points on April 29, 1992, against the Heat. Later, a rumor came out that Jordan played 36 holes of golf earlier that day.
Butler's performance puts the Bucks on the brink of making time to hit the links, a shocking development given the stellar regular season that Giannis Antetokounmpo and company enjoyed.
Butler's previous playoff career-high came during last season's Eastern Conference finals, when he posted 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics. He also had a 40-point triple double in an NBA Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Butler's playoff scoring high with the Bulls is 33 points, which he achieved twice. Butler's career playoff scoring average is 20.7 points
